She’s grown up in the spotlight! Alana Thompson has changed a lot since her days on the TLC reality series Toddlers & Tiaras. The reality star (a.k.a. Honey Boo Boo) appeared on the show from 2009 to 2012 and documented her time as a child beauty pageant contestant. Fans got to know Alana and her now-famous mother, Mama June Shannon, on season 5.
At the time, Alana was only 6 years old, but her bubbly personality made her an unforgettable star from the franchise. She had her own lingo and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind while cameras were rolling. The Georgia native often used her signature catchphrases like “redneckonize” and “a dolla makes me holla!”
Alana was such a hit among fans that TLC ended up offering her a self-titled spinoff, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, giving a glimpse at her private life. Viewers were finally able to meet her dad and June’s ex Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson, as well as her sisters, Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon, Jessica “Chubbs” Shannon and Anna “Chickadee” Shannon.
After three seasons, the spinoff series wrapped in 2014, but her time on reality TV didn’t end there. Alana and her family were given their own TV show on TLC Swamp Mama, which was later canceled. Luckily, they were given the green light on another series starring her mother, titled Mama June: From Not to Hot, which premiered in 2017 and has since been rebranded several times.
These days, Alana is starting to come into her own! In recent years, Alana also learned to brush off her critics like a pro. “You hating but I’m popping regardless [nail polish emoji],” she captioned a photo in November 2020, showing her flashing a peace sign while flaunting her new style.
In August 2021, she opened up about her identity and growing up in a thoughtful profile for Teen Vogue. “They are completely two different people,” she told the outlet. “I would say that I do like this Alana now, rather than the younger Alana. … I guess people still expect me to be little Honey Boo Boo, and I’m not anymore. I don’t ever look at people and I’m like, ‘Oh, I wish I was like her.’ Because I don’t ever wish to be like nobody. I am my own person.”
Scroll through Honey Boo Boo’s transformation photos below.